Hoisting machine



March 20, 1951 G. E. MOORE HOISTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 12, 1947 INVENTOR I GEORGE E.MOORE -2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY fim gg ATTORNEYS March 20, 1951 G. E. MOORE HOISTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 12, 1947 GEORGE E. MOORE INVENTOR BY Y ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 20, 1951 HOISTING MACHINE George E. Moore, Muskegon Heights, Mich., as-

signor to Manning, Maxwell & Moore, Inc., Muskegon Heights, Mich., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 12, 1947, Serial No. 727,979

2 Claims.

1 This invention relates to power driven hoisting machines in which a cable drum is operated by a prime mover in hoisting direction and is freed under control for gravity lowering.

An object of this invention is to provide a hoisting machine in the form of a winch, as illustrated for example, in which a prime mover operating continuously in one direction is employed to operate a rope or cable drum in a hoisting direction through a planetary gear transmission.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a combination of this type, mechanism whereby the cable drum may be rotated by hand in a paying out direction, or by gravity in a load lowering direction under the control of the operator.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a complete combination of this type, a single manual operator by means of which the cable drum can be power operated for hoisting and gravity operated for lowering.

Other and more detailed objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the embodiment herein selected for purposes of illustration.

This invention resides substantially in the combination, construction, arrangement and relative location of parts, all as will be described in detail below.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a winch incorporating the subject matter of this invention, with some parts broken away; and

Figure 2 is a horizontal, central, cross-sectional view through the cable drum and associated mechanism.

The winch illustrated consists of a frame carrying a motor connected by a speed reducing planetary gear drive to a drum for coiling rope to which a load can be attached for hauling or lifting and lowering.

As illustrated, the machine includes a base plate in the form of a rolled steel channel member I, lying flat with the web uppermost and the flanges projecting downwardly. Attached to the flanges at the front end of the base plate or frame are a pair of short angles 2 provided with apertured lateral extensions to provide feet for supporting the mechanism and by which it may be bolted to a suitable foundation. Secured to the other end of the base plate are a similar pair of feet 2' different, however, in that they include extensions which project above the plane of the web and in which is mounted a transverse shaft 5. A motor plate 3 is pivotally mounted on the shaft 5 by means of a tube 4 secured to the bottom of the plate 3 and enclosing the shaft 5. The plate 3 is therefore pivotally supported and threaded studs 6 with suitable locking nuts are provided for adjusting the angular position of the plate 3 for the purpose of controlling the tension of the drive belt in an obvious manner. As illustrated, an electric motor M is bolted to the plate 3 and is provided with a multiple grooved V-belt pulley I I. To the front end of the base plate are secured a pair of upwardly extending side plates 1 fitted with individual caps 8 shaped to accommodate bearings, as will be explained later, which are clamped on the side plate by means of the caps 8 and slotted shackle bars 9 hinged to the plates and supporting clamp screws l 0 which engage the caps to hold them in place as continuations of the side plates (see Fig. 1)

The speed reducing drive connections consist of a V-belt drive from the motor to the drum shaft and a planetary gear assembly concentric with the drive shaft for driving the drum.

The motor may be an electric motor of single or polyphase type, or a D. C. motor, or it may be a gasoline engine. A simple type of motor is employed running continuously in one direction only when the winch is used, and requiring only a simple starting switch if electrically driven, or a simple starter if gasoline engine driven. As indicated, it is bolted to the hinged motor plate 3 and proper belt tension is maintained through the adjustment of the stud bolts and nuts 6.

The V-belt pulley II is connected by the V-belts l I to a large V-belt pulley I2 secured to the drum shaft l3 for rotating it.

The rope drum [4 is a flanged cast iron cylinder for coiling the rope, and has means, not shown, for anchoring one end of the rope to it. The drum [4 is freely rotatable on the drum shaft l3 on ball bearings l5. One end of the cable drum has a brake drum 16 cast integrally with it, as shown, and at the other end is a flange l6. Mounted on the flange I6 are projecting studs or pins IT on which are journaled planet gears I8 on intermediate ball bearings l9. These gears are driven from a sun pinion 20 integral with the drum shaft l3 and they also mesh with an internal gear 2| formed on the interior of a freely rotatable brake and gear housing 2|. The housing 2| rotates on the ball bearings 22 and 23 and on a larger ball bearing 24 held in the cage 25 which is clamped on the adjacent side plate I by means of one of the caps 8, as previously described. A similar cage 26 is clamped on the other side plate I by means of the cap 8, as previously described and houses a ball bearing 21 for rotatably supporting the drum shaft H3 at the end to which the V-belt pulley I2 is keyed.

The outer periphery of the housing 21 forms a brake drum exactly similar to the brake drum l6 at the other side of the cable drum. The open side of the gear chamber formed by the housing 2| is sealed by means of a tight fitting annular plate 28 which fits tightly in the housing at its outer periphery and has a clearance on its inner edge which fits over an annular projection of the drum flange I 6. The purpose of this construction is to prevent leakage of the lubricant for the gears from the housing at its outer periphery where the lubrication tends to crowd under centrifugal forces generated during operation.

The brake drums are embraced by identical brake bands 29 and 29' having suitable friction linings, as illustrated. Each brake band has one end anchored against bars 39 welded to the base, each band secured to the base by a single bolt 32, 32 through bars 3|, 3| welded to the brake bands to facilitate its detachment when desired. The other ends of the brake bands 29 and 29 are provided with threaded fittings 33 and 33 respectively for adjustable engagement with threaded eye-bolts 34 and 34', which in turn are pivotally connected to the levers 35 and 35' respectively. Levers 35 and 35' are respectively secured to the transverse shafts 33 and 33' which are carried in bushings 31 and 37 respectively, mounted in the side plates 7, as clearly shown in Figure 2. These shafts are free for oscillatory movement.

The transverse shaft 36 together with the brake band controlling lever 35 actuates the holding load brake on the rope drum, and secured to the shaft 36 is an upwardly projecting lever 39 which is outside of the adjacent side plates 1 (see Fig. 2). As is clear from Figure 2, the lever 35 lies between the side plates near the one on the pulley side, while lever 38 lies outside of the other side plate. Pivotally connected to the lever 38 is a threaded connecting rod 39 attached thereto by a suitable threaded clevis 39' (see Fig. 1) and lying axially of an encircling spiral spring 49. One end of the spring 49 rests on an angle bracket 4! welded to the adjacent side plate I and is engaged at its other end by a washer and nut 39 which threads on the shaft 39 (see Fig. 2). The other end of connecting rod 39 is pivotally attached by means of a threaded clevis 39 to the lever 44 on a pivot pin 44. The spring 40 acts to hold the cable drum brake normally on and its force is adjustable to vary the effectiveness of the brake for various loads.

The transverse shaft 36' to which the brake band lever 35 is attached actuates the planetary gear brake which includes the housing 2| and brake band 29, and has a downwardly projecting lever 42 fastened thereto on the outside of the adjacent side plate 1 (see Fig. 2). The lever 42 has a projecting pivot pin 43 upon which the long vertical hand lever 44 is fulcrumed at its lower end.

At a still higher point on the lever 44 there is pivotally mounted at 45" a connecting link 45 which has an elongated slot 45 at the other end guided on a projecting pin 25' integral with the gearing cage 25. The slot 45 is so proportioned that the vertical hand lever 44 is limited in its stroke to the left (Fig. 1) but is sufiiciently long not to restrict the stroke of lever 44 in the other direction. Normally the load drum brake band 29 is tight and the planetary gear brake band 29 is loose. Thus with the motor M running, the rope drum is held stationary while the drum shaft [3 turns and drives the planetary gearing so that the internal gear drum turns freely within its brake band 29.

In operating this Winch, and assuming the motor M running, the vertical hand lever 44 is moved forward, that is in a clockwise direction (Fig. 1) tending to further compress spring 40 through the connecting rod 39 and release the drum load brake 29. This occurs because rotating movement of lever 44 on pivot pin 43 moves the connecting rod 39 to the right not only further compressing Spring 49, but causing clockwise rotation of levers 38 and 35 and shaft 36 to which they are attached. This loosens the brake band 29. This action cannot occur at once because the lower end of lever 44 being fulcrumed on the pivot pin 43 of lever 42 causes lever 42 to move in a clockwise direction until the planetary gear brake band has been tightened and offers sufficient resistance to further tightening to permit transfer of the force of lever 44 to connecting rod 39. This again results because clockwise rotation of lever 42 causes shaft 36 to which it is attached to be similarly rotated, and hence lever 35' to which it is also attached, is also moved in a clockwise direction tightening brake band 29'. Thus, as the brake drum is being released the planetary gear brake is being applied, so that when the cable drum is released the gear drum 2| is held stationary. The force of spring 40 is therefore gradually transferred from the rope drum load brake to the planetary gear brake forcing the planet gears l8 pivoted on the rope drum to roll on the internal gear 2| and carry the drum l4 along with them.

There will be an intermediate period when the load brake drum is not fully released and the planetary gear brake drum not fully tightened when some slipping will occur between both brake drums and their associated brake bands which favors gradually taking up the load with a measure of speed control.

When the hand lever 44 is released the spring 40 will return it to neutral position, releasing the planetary gearing brake and tightening the drum load brake.

In order to lower the load the vertical hand lever 44 is pulled back, that is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, at which time the link 45 will bear on the fixed pin 25' so that this pin becomes the fulcrum of the hand lever. As before, connecting rod 39 is moved to the right, further compressing spring 49 and releasing the drum load brake. Incidentally the planetary gear train which is already loose will be further loosened with no eifect on the operation of the mechanism. Thus the drum brake is free so that it may be rotated in a lowering direction, pulling on the rope by hand, or if it is loaded, by reason of the gravity pull of the load thereon. Of course, by manipulating the degree of release of the drum brake by means of lever 44 the speed of lowering of the load can be regulated. During lowering the planet gears rotate but to no operational effect. The added load which they impose on the cable drum during rotation is inconsequential because of the ball bearing mounting of all of the rotating parts.

In view of the above description it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modificatlons are possible without departure from the novel subject matter herein disclosed. For this reason I prefer to be limited only as required by the claims.

What is claimed is:

L" 1. In a hoisting mechanism the combination :a manual lever pivotally connected to the end f or said short lever, a spring loaded link pivotally ieonnected at one end to the pivotally supported fx'nember attached to said spool brake drum and at the other end to said manual lever, and means Iorming a fixed pivotal support for said manual lever, said link being pivotally connected to said manual lever between said fixed pivotal support and its point of pivotal connection with said short lever, said spring normally maintaining the spool brake applied and the gear brake released.

2. In the combination of claim 1, said means forming a fixed pivotal support for said lever comprising a link having a lost motion connection with a fixed point, whereby movement of said manual lever in one direction on said means forming a fixed pivotal support causing rotation of said short lever to release the spool drum and apply the gear drum and movement of said manual lever in the opposite direction causing pivotal movement thereof on said short link to release said spool drum only.

GEORGE E. MOORE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

v UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,252,174 Ramsay Jan. 1, 1918 2,199,668 Lawler (B) May 7, 1940 2,242,193 Lawler May 13, 1941 2,359,778 Mork Oct. 10, 1944 

